Career Defined for Clinical Managers
Clinical managers, a type of medical and health services manager, work as managers in both administrative and medical capacities to ensure that the establishment for which they work runs smoothly. Clinical managers often work for doctors' offices, clinics, long-term care facilities, and outpatient facilities. Typical duties of a clinical manager include managing clinical, professional, administrative, and clerical staff; managing the recruitment, development of, and appraisal of staff; overseeing day-to-day management; developing and implementing policies and directives; setting and monitoring budgets; attending meetings; handling communications; and making purchasing decisions.
| Education | Bachelor's degree |
| Job Skills | Information analysis, delegating work, teamwork, managing medical establishments |
| Median Salary (2021)* | $48,990 for medical and health services managers |
| Career Outlook (2021-2031)* | 28% growth for medical and health services managers |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Education Requirements
Depending on the size of the workplace and the exact demands of the position, employers' education requirements for clinical managers will vary. Generally, you'll need to have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a field like medical services administration or health care administration. Coursework in a relevant 4-year, bachelor degree program includes courses on health care law and ethics, health care financial management, organization and management in health care, information systems for health care, health care administration, and case management.
Required Skills
Clinical managers are responsible for running many areas of medical establishments and should be comfortable breaking down and delegating tasks when appropriate. An ability to consume, absorb, and analyze large amounts of information will help you in a career in clinical management.
Economic and Employment Outlook
Clinical managers fall under the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' broader category of medical and health services managers; with employment growth expected to be 28% from 2021-2031, the job outlook for this field is very good. The median 2021 annual earnings for medical and health services managers were $101,340.
Alternate Career Options
Related careers are:
Human Resources Manager
A human resources manager leads the hiring and employee evaluation process for a company or organization. He or she ensures that company policies adhere to labor laws and also directs the administration of employee benefit and payroll programs. A minimum of a bachelor's degree in human resources or a related field is usually required, along with several years of relevant work experience. Human resources managers may also earn voluntary professional certification. Jobs in human resources management are projected to increase at a rate of 7% from 2021-2031, according to the BLS. The median pay was $126,230 in 2021, per the BLS, and the states where the greatest number of human resources managers worked in 2021 were California, Illinois, and Texas.
Social and Community Service Manager
Social and community service managers work for individual and family service organizations, state and local government, civic organizations, religious groups, and related groups. They oversee the delivery of services and programs, assessing what works and what doesn't, and implementing change where necessary. Most social and community services managers have at least a bachelor's degree in social work, public administration, or a related field, and work experience, although a master's degree is commonly preferred by employers. Jobs in this field are predicted to grow 12% from 2021-2031, per the BLS. The BLS also reported that social and community service managers earned median pay of $74,000 in 2021.
